Kettle Corn Crispie Bars (Judy Reynolds)

When I started working at WBCL, one of the first guests I scheduled during my training was Judy Reynolds. Hailing from southern Indiana, Judy won the Midwest Living Bake off in 2010 with her amazing recipe for Caramel and Chocolate Kettle Corn Crispie Bars. Lynne saw the recipe in the magazine and wanted to interview Judy on Mid-Morning.

I felt it was only fitting to MAKE the dish so we could talk to her intelligently about it, and I quickly found WHY they won. Goodness. These are so very good. Judy is a delightful lady, and I enjoyed hearing her interview and talking with her as part of it. I think everyone should know the goodness that is this this recipe. It has more ingredients than recipes I normally make, but allow me to assure you it is WELL worth it. Let me also tell you HOW RICH this is. Cut them small!!

The Recipe:

8 cups Original Kettle Corn, remove any uncooked kernels
1 (8 oz.) package milk chocolate toffee bits
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped finely
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
1/4 cup hot caramel topping, melt to pouring consistency
1 tablespoon or desired amount of sea salt for topping

Line an 11 x 7 x 2-inch baking pan with aluminum foil; use enough foil on sides to be able to pull bars from pan easily when ready to serve; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add kettle corn, toffee bits and pecans; blend ingredients together with hands or large wooden spoon; set aside.

In a small saucepan combine corn syrup, condensed milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring continuously, about 5 to 6 minutes or until the caramel sauce has turned a light golden brown. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract. Pour cooked caramel sauce over reserved kettle corn mixture.

Blend, with a wooden spoon, until kettle corn mixture is completely coated by caramel sauce. Spread evenly in foil lined pan; press lightly to compact. Spread melted chocolate morsels evenly over kettle corn in baking pan. Use a spoon to drizzle 1/4 cup hot caramel topping over melted.

Top with desired amount of sea salt. Cool in freezer until chocolate and hot caramel topping has set; about 45 to 60 minutes. If bars are taken out too soon cutting them will smash the popcorn down.

Remove from pan to cutting surface using extended ends of aluminum foil; remove foil. Cut into bars with a sharp knife or electric knife. Recipe makes about 20 to 24 bars. These bars freeze well.
I purchased the actual "hot caramel sauce" in the jar...the really thick kind...instead of the squeeze bottle of caramel sundae syrup. It holds better on top of the bar. Make sure the sea salt is the coarse kind, not finely ground. I purchased pecan chips to safe time chopping. And if you didn't know - the chocolate toffee bits are found with the chocolate chips.

If you don't have an 11x7 pan (I happen to have one - but it is an odd size) you can use the nearest size you have...just know that your bars will either be thicker or thinner depending on the size of your pan. When you're done making the bars, you can lift the foil right out of the pan and peel it away.
You can toast the nuts in the oven, but Lynne shared the tip of putting them in a microwave safe bowl and toasting them in the microwave (set on high power) for 30 seconds, stirring, and then 30 more seconds. It just brings out the flavor and warms them a bit.

Judy taught me that one bag of kettle corn (if you buy the microwave bags) IS 8 cups. Easy measuring! I was worried that the toffee bits and nuts would fall to the bottom of the popcorn in the mixing bowl, but it doesn't happen. The chocolate coating on the toffee bits melts in the warm popcorn and the warm pecans, and acts kind of as a glue.

See? It mixes well. Do make sure you put the popcorn in with your hands rather than pouring it from the bag so you can catch any unpopped kernels. Don't want people biting down on those!

After that is all mixed, start on the sauce. Pour all the called-for ingredients in a pan.

This is what it will look like as you begin to cook. Make sure you do stir it continually so the sugars don't burn on the bottom.

It will come to a pretty good boil! This is what it looks like right before it's done.

Pour it over the popcorn mixture.

It will start to look kind of like caramel corn. Stir well.

Spread it into the pan. If you're using the correct size, it will come nearly to the top of the pan.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave until they're spreadable.

Spread over the top of the corn mixture.

Take the lid off the caramel sauce, put it in the microwave until it softens, and then use a spoon to drizzle it over the chocolate. Immediately after that, drop the sea salt over it so it can settle in to the caramel and chocolate. Put it in the freezer for an hour or so while it hardens.

Cut and serve!! Amazing.